‘Tis November, and the Great Food Search’s heart (and stomach) turns to Pumpkin Smash Smoothies, but the local Jamba Juice branches are out of them, so I’m out of luck. Where to go? Well, there was one place in Sanger, and I went there…and I went there…and WOW!
I’ve been going to Javier’s Mexican Restaurant (5680 E. Kings Canyon) in the Sunnyside area for years, probably decades, in its converted bank building east of Clovis Avenue. Imagine the surprise of parking by the east-side entrance and finding it sealed off! Javier’s is not gone; the front door has moved to the north side. There is now patio seating and an ADA-compliant ramp!
Last month, the Great Food Search went Taco Hunting, and I bagged some good ones, but I kept hearing about other places and other tacos, so, in our quest for news you can eat, Kings River Life brings you “Tacos, Part 2.”
I had brunch at The Boat Basin today and on the menu were early Cinco de Mayo items. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday I always heard about but never really knew anything about it. I finally looked it up on Wikipedia and discovered that it is not actually Mexican Independence Day, as is the common misconception, but it is a holiday that Mexican-Americans celebrate. It is observed in honor of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin who led the Mexican Army to an unlikely victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is much celebrated in California but virtually ignored in Mexico.
It stands next to Academy Avenue in Sanger’s Southgate Center. It was once a Perko’s. For a long time, it was Austin’s and for a short time, it was The Ranch House. Now it has a new name and a new lease on life: Restaurant La Haciendita Mexican Food. I’ll tell you the truth; I didn’t expect much from this place. In the past, it was a basic, unsurprising eatery with basic, unsurprising food. I was really, really wrong.
Wandering the roads near Sanger one dark Thursday evening, my daughter and I found and sampled three wagons of wonder. El Vera, from Queeny’s Catering, was hidden on O Street, south of North Avenue, behind Gong’s Market and the U Can 2 gym, a dreary and somewhat scary location, although a string of soft-toned, color-changing LED lights gave a festive glow to the place. La Mexicana is on E. Kings Canyon Rd.
Before you get out of Reedley, heading east on Manning, you ought to stop at El Rincon de America Mexican and Salvadorean Food. It’s good stuff!
Why would you go to a Mexican restaurant that’s between a donut shop and a 7-11, where the booths look like refugees from a fast food place, with mirrors that will keep the children busy making faces until the food arrives, and a TV is stuck up in a corner by the ceiling?
Academy Avenue slashes through Sanger and, with the recent divider expansion and road widening, the thoroughfare is getting closer to several businesses, including Velasco's Mexican Restaurant.
Recently I paid a visit to a small Mexican restaurant here in Reedley wanting to get some good Mexican food, and having been to Daniels a few years back for lunch, I thought why not try their dinner. I must say, I was not disappointed. This is not to say that this restaurant does not have their down sides. Also, this is not the place for a first date; this restaurant is for laughing loud, having to talk over people, and hanging out with friends, family and your significant other who you have been with for a while. Basically, if you are planning on taking your honey out on a romantic evening, this is not the place.
